Tag Archives: 1911

Weapons

Carolina Arms Group’s new Privateer 1911

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Carolina Arms Group is located not very far away from me at all.  About 45 minutes up I-77 and I’m pulling into their parking lot.  So I’ve come to know the owner and I’ve met most everyone working at CAG.    CAG has made some very nice 1911’s… and some of the the best 1911’s I’ve ever handled.  That was the Trenton Series, a family of 1911’s named after the Battle of Trenton.      But now CAG has a new series of pistols.  Meet the PRIVATEER.

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I’m going to say this… and I don’t say this lightly.  In fact, I’ve considered this for some time and I keep coming back to the same conclusion.  This is the best 1911 I’ve ever seen.  Let me say this again…
THIS IS THE BEST 1911 I HAVE EVER SEEN.

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I’ve been into 1911’s since I was 16 and the father of a girlfriend introduced me to them.  His name was Dave and he was awesome.  I don’t even remember his daughter anymore… but I remember Dave.  Dave taught me the Tao of Browning.   He taught me how the gun works, inside and out, and how to shoot it.

Dave literally saved my life because of this… because the Army gave me Zero training when they issued me a 1911 and it was a 1911 that I used to save my life when someone was intent on ending it.   I’ve always loved the 1911 since those rather exciting days.  And I’ve always taken them seriously because of it.

I’ve tested and reviewed some of the best 1911’s on the planet, and have owned 1911’s from the likes of Terry Tussy and other high end custom gunsmiths…  And let me tell you… The CAG PRIVATEER 1911 is the finest example of the 1911 Pistol.   Period.  Saint John Moses Browning himself smiles upon the CAG Privateer and is well pleased.

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Differences from the Trenton series have the Privateer using a regular, fine, checkering on the frame and the inclusion of an accessory rail.  Up top it’s wearing Tritium Night Sights instead of fiber optics.  As all serious use handguns should.  The grips are a slim profile, which makes the gun more narrower in the hand, which is great when wearing gloves… and even better when the gun is tight against your side when it’s riding in a holster.

The whole gun, including the barrel, is finished with a gorgeous DLC finish.  Diamond Like Coating.  The DLC Finish is incredibly strong, resistant, and smooth.   The gun looks amazing.  The laser engraving really pops and looks clean unlike anything coated in Cerakote or other finishes.  The Fit and Finish are – FLAWLESS – to the point that no photo will ever do these guns justice.   You have to see these guns in person.  You have to feel them in your hands.  You have to feel the slide’s action.  You have to feel the trigger.  You have to feel the difference between these guns and every other 1911 out there.

One day, I’m going to own a CAG Privateer in a Commander length.

Hit Carolina Arms Group on Facebook, and tell them I sent you.
If you want a Carolina Arms Group pistol… See them at Point Blank Range.  Or contact PBR and order one.

UPDATE:

I paid a visit to Carolina Arms Group today… The makers of very desirable things. I got a peek at a new model, the Veteran Carry… which is an insanely smooth Bobtail Commander. It’s fantastic. Save your Pennies. And they are going to be rolling out some knives with carbon fiber scales, and matching carbon fiber grips for the pistol. VERY nice. Impressive. Mark threw some laser engraving on my knife… Thanks, Mark! If you guys need anything lasered – contact CAG and talk to them about it. Their laser system is fast and precise… sharpest looking laser work out there.
The new Veteran Carry – that’s the one to get!
‪#‎feelthedifference‬.

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Sneak Peek at the new Veteran Carry pistol.  It’s not even finished and it’s gorgeous as hell.  The Want is strong with this one.

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Taking the time to fit it right.  By hand.

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The little details are the important ones.   It has to be perfect.

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What goes good with a high quality gun?  A high quality blade.

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You’ll be able to order a Carolina Arms Group accessory kit with your pistol… Which includes the holster, knife, and matching grips.

Weapons

The OGRE EDITION 1911

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I was asked about my ideal 1911 Configuration… The Ogre Edition 1911, if you will.   My dream 1911.

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It’s really simple.   We’re going to start with a Lightweight Commander platform, give it a Beavertail and a Commander style hammer.   The rear sight will be neither a GI or a Novak, and it wont be adjustable.  It has to be able to facilitate one hand slide-racking in an emergency.  And it’s going to have the “Bobtail” conversion not just for looks, but for feel and concealability.IMG_1903

The Muzzle end will have a deep target crown and will be flush with the bushing.  Also note, it’s going to have a Bushing and a GI style spring plug.367fg170

The front sight will have either a Trijicon HD, Big Dot, or Gold Dot front sight post for MAX Visibility.  NO FIBER OPTIC.  The rear will be nice wide notch, sans the 2 rear dots.  I don’t like double dot rears.

The overall gun will be slightly “Melted” to soften any hard edges.
Serrations will be simple GI style, with nothing forward.

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The grips will be rich Cocobolo wood, thin, and low profile, edges slightly rounded.  The front strap of the grip frame will be 30LPI checkered.
The gun can either be all black, or black over a light colored frame.

The Caliber will be 10mm.

This is my ideal 1911.  Though no one as of yet makes it.

EDIT:  UPDATE:  
Ha!  Looks like my tastes have not really changed all that much…

The Ogre Edition 1911

 

Weapons

1911 External Extractors

7 Comments

20151229_150235I hear this all the time… usually from Mouth Breathers… “Those SIG and S&W 1911’s are crap because they have external extractors.  No gun should have them.”

Dude – Just shut it.   Most modern autopistols all have external extractors.  All the guns that are well known for utter reliability have external extractors.  John Mosses Browning even put them on the Hi-Power!   Glocks.  SIG’s.  Beretta… very few guns have Internal Extractors and those that do generally are problematic.

I’ve shot a lot of 1911’s.  I’ve got a lot of 1911’s.  And what I don’t have or have ever shot – was a 1911 with an external extractor that had a problem that was extractor related.   Ever.   You don’t hear about Glocks and FNS’s with Extractor problems… do you?  No!  You really don’t!   Sure – maybe somewhere out there in the vastness of the internets, under some dark rock in a dark corner – someone had a Glock Extractor problem.  But really, on the whole… such problems are pretty much just non-existant.

If you think an external extractor is problem – you really just don’t know what you are talking about.

Weapons

Some thoughts on a Saturday Morning

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I’m a 1911 guy.  I became a 1911 guy when I was a teenager.  My girlfriend’s father, Dave, instructed me on the ways of the Old Slab Sides.  I think I was the only guy that dated his daughter that he liked.  He was a cool guy too. But he introduced me to the gun and how it operated.  Which is good.  Because not very long later the US Government put a 1911 in my hand without any instruction.    I really liked the 1911.  Dave too.   Looking back, I liked hanging out with Dave more than his daughter.     I’ve had a lot of 1911’s since.

1911’s have developed a reputation for being less than reliable.  This is because saying “1911” is like saying “Pickup Truck”.   You can’t say all pickup trucks are unreliable.  Make, Model, Condition, and Maintenance Records are all important, no?  I’ve found 1911’s can be just as reliable as Glocks.  Can.  Not all.    There’s one specific word though that when combined with “1911” that should always be avoided.  That word is “Ultra”.  Don’t get any “Ultra” 1911.  Any 1911 that has the word “Ultra” on it, or even near it – just don’t do it.   Also, any barrel length below 4″ is best to be avoided.  This goes along the same lines as the word “Ultra”.

Continue reading Some thoughts on a Saturday Morning →

Weapons

Carolina Arms Group

14 Comments

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The new 1911 Maker in North Carolina is Carolina Arms Group.    These guns are legit.  I’d put them right up there with Les Baer and Ed Brown.

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The actions, triggers, overall fitment – flawless.  Very smooth.  Great triggers… These are everything you want in a 1911.

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Now, CAG is a new company so they don’t have that name and reputation.   But if you know 1911’s and how they should be built – and not just Name Dropping and Marketing Buzzwords… and you examine a CAG 1911… You’ll know these are exquisite 1911’s.20150829_095841I took the opportunity to test fire their new Commander Length pistol.   It was flawless.   Cycled perfectly, and it didn’t just shoot point of aim – point of impact…. It was like it shot to “Point of Will”.  It was telekinetic… Exactly like a fine 1911 should be.   I wanted to put a round “THERE” and the round went there.  You are not just hitting your target… you are placing your shots on the target where you want them to go.

These guns are built with all premium level parts… Everything is forged billet.  Nothing even remotely MIM or Cast like how some high level 1911 makers are sneaking into their production… These are true custom built 1911’s.
The Price does reflect that… Around 3 Large.  But you really do get what you pay for here.   These guns are right up there with the very best.

 

Weapons

My Springfield Armory 1911 GI No More

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10993492_10205039089750331_2520949170993450144_nThis is my Springfield Armory GI 1911.  I’ve had this gun for some years now, kept it and enjoyed it as stock, refusing to modify it or change it in any way.  Well, two things happened to while I was in Jacksonville, NC.  The GI style wood grips cracked on me, and before I really “Discovered” Fireclean, it suffered form a corrosion attack on the slide.   So I had to scrub the corrosion off it, and change the grips.
Well, once I had gone and done all that keeping it “stock” just isn’t the same anymore.

10993439_10205039089710330_5305848336307885131_nThe gun shoots remarkable well for an old warhorse.  I love the fact that even with the old nubbin sights, it’s still an accurate shooter.  I fired 100 rounds of standard Winchester White Box 230 grains, and 50 rounds of Hornady JHP’s without a single failure.  The gun got hot.  So hot that it was really difficult to rack the slide… but it kept shooting as long as the mag had ammo in it.  It showed no signs of slowing down either.  That was probably due to the Slipstream lubrication, and a good old GI style 1911 working together in harmony.

Here’s the one problem I had though.  Hammer Bite.  Not bad enough to be painful, but it was irritating and distracting.  So to solve that problem, I went ahead and ordered some parts from Brownells.  A new Commander style Hammer, sear to match that, and a Commander style drop in beavertail safety.  Wilson Combat parts of course.   They should be here in 4 to 5 days.  Can’t wait.   Once those parts are in, my GI will no longer be a GI.  This saddens me a bit.

Weapons

The Ultimate 1911 for Carry

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The Ultimate 1911 for EDC (Every Day Carry) has got to be the classic Light Weight Commander.

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Those simple wood grips, with the simple blacked out finish… No Ramp rear sight… This is an example of LW Commander Perfection. It doesn’t get any better than this.

To me, this is the just the ideal 1911, period.  It’s the most flexible, capable 1911 you can get.  When you step away from this pattern, you step into more specialized, more limited areas.    You can easily rock an LW Commander in an IDPA match, and win it.  You can easily take that same gun and wear it for week concealed.  You go to a 5″ Government if you like.  And that’s fine.  But packing it concealed every day gets to be tedious.  Especially if you are getting in and out of vehicles all week.  You can go shorter than 4″ if you like… makes packing it much easier, sure.  But you sacrifice reliability in a way that I just find to be unacceptable.   Maybe you don’t need a reliable sidearm.  Huh… Well, someone is buying Kimber Ultras.     No… to me, the LW Commander just has it all.   The question though is WHICH light weight Commander.

ruger_lightweight_commander_1911_3Ruger is all over the place with their new LW Commander.  No, it’s not that I’ve been a Ruger Fan Boy lately, it’s just that Ruger is really “Doing It Right” lately.   (Granted – their new “Custom” LCP should be an LC9S, but that’s another topic)  I really like what Ruger has been doing lately.  5 years ago – I may have had to hurt you should you have suggested that I’d be saying that.  But it’s true.  Ruger is making some fine products, and their 1911’s are getting better.  If anything, they are really worth taking a look at.

 

Weapons

The Remington R1 has impressed me.

2 Comments

20141210_203851I recently had the change to really get into a Remington R1 pistol, shoot it (a lot) and examine the guts.
Shockingly well made.  The internal machining was clean and precise.  The parts fit together without any slop, or tight spots.  The finish as smooth and even and consistent… and attractive, if I might add.  Overall, I liked it a lot.  For the money, the R1’s seem to be a fantastic Bang for the Buck option.  You are getting a lot of 1911 Goodness for a very reasonable amount of money…. a couple hundred bucks over a Glock.  (This one was sporting optional Crimson Trace grips, which add about 350 bucks for the Master Series)
Accuracy was very good with most rounds fired.  Excellent with some.  The worst was with Aguila FMJ’s, but the R1 was redeemed with Federal and Hornady ammo.  Remington’s own UMC ammo was not tested.
I didn’t record FPS #’s as I did not have a Chrono.  I still need to buy another one.
No Malfs were encountered, and I do not anticipate many would happen, as this is a good 1911 built right.
I’m very much looking forward to the new 1911’s made in the new facility in Alabama where the Remington R1 are absorbing Para USA like a Big Green Borg Cube…  We’ll see if the R1’s are as good as they used to be.

Uncategorized

Remington’s R1 Carry Commander.

11 Comments

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I have handled the R1 Carry Commander again… This time taking a good hard critical look at it.  Dang if I can’t find a fault in it.  The action is super smooth, not too tight, not too loose – it’s totally Goldilocks.  This is just about the most flawless Commander I’ve seen for production 1911’s.   The finish inside was excellent.  I’m impressed, Remington.  Very impressed.  This gun is a contender for the next 1911 I get.   It really is.  If you get a chance to look at one at your local gun seller – take a good look at it and tell me what you think.

Weapons

Four interesting guns, as discussed on AAR.

5 Comments
Fast gun segment on Armed American Radio.   I picked 4 of the more interesting Concealed Carry Gun Options.
Ruger LC9S, a Striker fired version of the LC9 we are all familiar with.  Much better trigger pull – to the point it means this slim ccw gun becomes a very serious option.   Even for me.
Ruger has another really good CCW option, the LCRx.  This is like the now familiar LCR revolver, but this one has a standard style exposed hammer, which means you can thumb-cock the action for a more accurate shot. I like that.  At only 13.5 ounces, you might think they are snappy – but with that nice rubber grip, it’s a pussycat to shoot.
Springfield XDS 4.0   This is the same gun as the XDS we all know and love, but with a longer 4 inch barrel.  A little better velocity because of that longer barrel, but the big advantage is the longer sight radius which makes it easier to shoot more accurately with.
Browning 1911 .380.  This gun was just recently announced.  It’s the 1911 .22 that’s been out for awhile, but rechambered for .380 auto.  What they did was they took a 1911 and scaled it down to only 85% size.  So it looks and functions just like the classic JMB design, but small.  Taking a gun that’s just too cool, and making it a viable defensive options.  Especially if you have tiny hands. Or you just want something different.  Probably wont be available until March of 2015, but that’s just a guess.  I’ll be looking for this at SHOT SHOW right off the bat.